What does "running" mean?
The action of the verb to run.
Running
adj, adv, name, noun, prep, verb, slang
adj, adv, name, noun, prep, verb, slang ·2 syllables ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The action of the verb to run.
- Grammar: running is listed as adj, adv, name, noun, prep, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: run, acting, action, active.
- Useful contrasts: passing, standing, terminated process.
- Usage evidence: You're just running away from life's problems.
How to use "running"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "running" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "running" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "running" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "running" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "running" is acting as adj, adv, name, noun, prep, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "run" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "running", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The action of the verb to run. countable, uncountable
"His running of the business leaves something to be desired."
- 2 the act of running; traveling on foot at a fast pace wordnet
- 3 The activity of running as a form of exercise, as a sport, or for any other reason. countable, uncountable
"Running is good exercise."
- 4 the act of participating in an athletic competition involving running on a track wordnet
- 5 That which runs or flows; the quantity of a liquid which flows in a certain time or during a certain operation. countable, uncountable
"the first running of a still"
Show 6 more definitions
- 6 (American football) a play in which a player attempts to carry the ball through or past the opposing team wordnet
- 7 The discharge from an ulcer or other sore. countable, uncountable
- 8 the act of administering or being in charge of something wordnet
- 9 The act of running errands. colloquial, countable, uncountable
"I'm gonna go out and do my running."
- 10 the state of being in operation wordnet
- 11 The dependence of measured value, typically a coupling constant, on the energy scale at which it is probed due to higher-order interaction terms and associated renormalization issues becoming relevant; metaphorically, the "running" of the measurement from its limiting macroscopic value. countable, uncountable
Verb
- 1 present participle and gerund of run form-of, gerund, participle, present
Adjective
- 1 Moving or advancing at a run. not-comparable
- 2 Moving or advancing at a run.; Of a horse, having a running gait; not a trotter or pacer. not-comparable
- 3 Present, current. not-comparable
"running month"
- 4 Flowing; easy; cursive. not-comparable
"running handwriting"
- 5 Continuous; ongoing; keeping along step by step. not-comparable
"a running commentary, a running explanation, my running theory"
Show 5 more definitions
- 6 Having a continuous design or pattern. not-comparable
"running bond; running ornament"
- 7 Consecutive (much more commonly expressed by an adverb; see below). not-comparable
"He won the title for three running years."
- 8 Extending by a slender climbing or trailing stem. not-comparable
"a running vine"
- 9 Discharging pus. not-comparable
"a running sore"
- 10 Discharging snot or mucus. not-comparable
"a running nose"
Adjective
- 1 continually repeated over a period of time wordnet
- 2 (of e.g. a machine) performing or capable of performing wordnet
- 3 executed or initiated by running wordnet
- 4 (of fluids) moving or issuing in a stream wordnet
- 5 of advancing the ball by running wordnet
Show 1 more definition
- 6 measured lengthwise wordnet
Adverb
- 1 Consecutively; in a row. informal, not-comparable
"Mom's strawberry jam won the blue ribbon at the Holland County Fair three years running."
Preposition
- 1 Approaching; about; roughly. colloquial
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname.
Example
"You're just running away from life's problems."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "running"?
Common synonyms include: run, acting, action, active, active, activity.
How do you use "running" in a sentence?
You're just running away from life's problems.
Etymology
By surface analysis, run + -ing.